Marriage

‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ Thus in the bible begins the account of creation. After each day, with the work done, God would say with obvious satisfaction that “it was good”.

However, on the sixth day, with the creation of man ‘in his own image’, the sacred writer emphasised that God did again view all that He had made but now “it was very good”. Nonetheless, there seemed to be something missing and God mused that “It is not good that man should be alone”.

Consequently, woman was created to be companion and assistant to man. Not only that but now a covenant would be set up between man and woman and they would be urged “to be fruitful and fill the earth”.

Since ancient times, marriage has always been regarded as a stabilising factor in society. In pagan Rome, the emperor Augustus severely criticised those of marriageable age who refused to marry and have children and even imposed sanctions on them. Yet, it was with Christianity that the plan of the Creator for marriage is fully disclosed.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus whether it was lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause He answered: “Have you not heard that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female and said ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one’?” (Matt 19-4)

Now marriage between baptised persons was elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. Therefore, ‘a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life ordered towards the good of the spouses and the protection and education of children’ (CCC1601). Moreover, ‘sexuality is ordered to the conjugal love of man and wife. In marriage the physical intimacy of the spouses becomes a sign and pledge of spiritual union’ (CCC2360).

It is significant that Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding in Cana when He saved the newly-wed couple from an embarrassing situation. His presence here confirms the need of His constant help and mercy amid the trials and tribulations that inevitably occur in a marriage.

Jacqueline Calleja – Naxxar

Third term

Polls are showing that the Labour Party will be voted in for a third term.

We hope and pray we are not heading for a repeat of the disastrous 1981 -1987 Labour third term.

Carmel Sciberras – Naxxar

Ukrainians arriving in Malta

I could not help empathise with Elena Orlova in her interview with Times of Malta (March 5) when she described her ordeal on leaving Kyiv to return to Malta, where she has been living since 2018. She felt that the authorities should have been more considerate of the plight of Ukrainians seeking asylum without having to face stringent measures of quarantine and other related bureaucratic conditions for entry into the country.

After all, she was coming from a war-torn country not seeking a pleasant holiday.

All this is very true and the restrictive measures seem very inhumane and insensitive.

However, the government should try to explain at the very outset the reason for its apparent inhumane stance in their circumstance. It should explain its obligation and responsibility to keep the population healthy.

We are a very small country, and overpopulated to boot. We do not have the expanse of space that Ukraine, for example, has. We are still in the midst of a pandemic, which, hopefully, is on its last legs.

However, it is still the authorities’ responsibility to curb and supervise entries from red alert countries. Should COVID rear its head again and there is a flare-up in numbers the whole population would suffer, including those who are seeking asylum here. If our one and only hospital were to become inundated with a surge of cases, panic among the population would rise, as the healthcare resources would be stretched to the limit.

So although Orlova is right in feeling that she did not receive the merited sympathy from the authorities here, I think she will certainly understand the reasoning behind the strict measures. May she and her compatriots always feel welcome and safe in this country.

Antoinette Azzopardi – Nadur

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